Lincoln Mayor Don Wesely today signed a proclamation declaring October 11 as "Light
On Afterschool!" Day in Lincoln, urging citizens to work together to make sure children
have a safe, friendly place to go after school where the "lights are on." The national
awareness day was created last year by the Afterschool Alliance and is sponsored by
JCPenney.

"Today, as many as 15 million children have no place to go after school," said Mayor
Wesely. "Lincoln has one of the highest percentages of working women in the nation.
All children deserve the benefits of quality after school programs. Children who have a
place to go are less likely to get involved in undesirable, dangerous and unlawful
activities."

Attending the proclamation signing were administrators from Lincoln's Community Learning
Center (CLC) Initiative. The Initiative, begun during the last school year, has
established pilot CLCs, which are school-based centers where community teams plan,
implement and expand projects to benefit the neighborhood, including after school programs.
Lincoln is one of eight cities to receive a 30-month technical assistance grant from the
National League of Cities to develop a plan for school-based activities before and after
school. The Lincoln-Lancaster Women's Commission is helping to administer that grant.

The Afterschool Alliance is a growing coalition of public, private and nonprofit
organizations committed to raising awareness and resources for after school programs.
Media Release